First relaunched as a 19th-century mansion, it finally becomes the next big thing on the golfing world
Adare Manor, Ireland
Played the PGA Tour in 2002-03 as the Valhalla Country Club, it’s now back in Ireland. Moved from Kentucky in 2015 and recently named by Golf Digest as the third best course in the world behind Augusta National and St Andrews. It’s a matter of hours from Dublin and is priced per sq metre at £300.
Exposed pipes by a lake. Photograph: Matt Oldshue/Alamy
Open for The 2022 Ryder Cup
Occupying 32 hectares of land in County Limerick, Adare was designed by the late William ‘Bill’ Rummel in 1896. This being Ireland, things have changed. We’ve gone from Victorian stone courtyards and country manors to mining shafts and ancient Irish Saxon mounds. Despite heavy rain, some holes remain unplayable. Adare has used the money from Rory McIlroy’s prize for this year’s match – worth £1.1m – to refurbish the house and relaunch as a hotel.
Betting tent on Lake Elizabeth. Photograph: Matt Oldshue/Alamy
Snooker player Bill’s Hack Lounge. Photograph: Matt Oldshue/Alamy
Vintage inn, stables, cafe and betting shed – plus snooker in the lounges – all opened by trainer Bill McEwen in 1898 for a reported £9,000. Hardly spruced up but it’s 90 minutes outside Dublin – perfect for a golf weekend. Adare bills itself as Ireland’s second oldest course and the last to use an international bat in its irrigation system, pioneered by Nobel prizewinner Jack Nicklaus.